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Afghan Taliban
supremo Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a rare US drone strike deep inside
Pakistan, Afghanistan announced today, inflicting a body blow to the insurgents
and a removing a major “threat” to the fragile peace process in war-torn
Afghanistan.

Pakistan accused the
US of violating its sovereignty with the strike. The drone strike inside
Pakistan was a rare one since US Navy Seals killed Al-Qaida chief Osama bin
Laden in a stealth raid in the Pakistani garrison city of Abbottabad in 2011.
Mansour and another militant were targeted in a precision air strike by
multiple unmanned drones operated by US Special Operations forces yesterday as
the duo rode in a vehicle in a remote area near Ahmad Wal town in the restive
Baluchistan province close to the Afghan border, US officials said.

The drone strike,
which US officials said was authorised by President Barack Obama, showed
America was ready to target the Taliban leadership in Pakistan, which
Afghanistan has repeatedly accused of sheltering the militants.

Afghanistan’s main
spy agency said Mansour, said to be in his early 50s, was killed in a US drone
attack inside Pakistan. “Mansour was being closely monitored for a while...
until he was targeted along with other fighters aboard a vehicle... in Balochistan,”
the National Directorate of Security said in a brief statement today. Afghan
defense ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri also confirmed Mansour’s death.

Addressing a press
conference in the Afghan capital, he called on the group to select a new leader
and then come to Kabul and act like a political party. Speaking in the Myanmar
capital Naypyidaw, US Secretary of State John Kerry said, "Mansour
posed... an imminent threat to US personnel, Afghan civilians and Afghan
security forces… we had no recourse but to respond and I think we responded
appropriately," he said.

The drone strike
inside Pakistan was a rare one since US Navy Seals killed Al-Qaida chief Osama
bin Laden in a stealth raid in the Pakistani garrison city of Abbottabad in
2011. Mansour assumed the leadership in July 2015, replacing Taliban founder
and the one-eyed reclusive long-time spiritual head Mullah Mohammad Omar, who
died in Pakistan in 2013.

The United States
informed both Pakistan and Afghanistan shortly after the strike, a senior White
House official said. In Kabul, Afghan CEO Abdullah Abdullah said said Mansour
had been a major obstacle in the way of the Afghan peace process and that his
death would be a big blow to the insurgent group. — Agencies

Six troopers were
killed when an Assam Rifles convoy was today ambushed in Manipur's Chandel
district by insurgents of the Corcom—the apex body of six proscribed
underground organisations.

The attackers also
took away four AK-47 assault rifles, an INSAS rifle, a light machine gun and
ammunition before fleeing the spot.

While intelligence
sources said six personnel, including a junior commissioned officer, were
killed, the Assam Rifles and the police, while confirming the incident,
declined to disclose the exact casualty figures.

The convoy of 29
Assam Rifles was approaching Holenjang village from the main camp at Joupi in
Chandel district bordering Myanmar around 1 pm when the insurgents detonated
remote-controlled bombs and opened fire from different sides.

The exchange of fire
lasted about one hour. Reinforcements were rushed to the spot and operations
launched to apprehend the perpetrators, who are believed to have escaped to no
man's land along the India-Myanmar border.

Home Minister
Rajnath Singh has directed the security forces to take the “strongest possible
action” against militants involved in the killing of six Assam Rifles personnel
in Manipur.

After the incident,
Rajnath reviewed the situation with Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and
other top officials in the security establishment.

He also spoke to the
Assam Rifles Director-General, who apprised him of the situation and the action
taken so far.

“Extremely pained to learn of
the killing of Assam Rifles' JCO and jawans in Manipur. My condolences to the
families of the deceased soldiers,” Rajnath wrote on Twitter.

“Spoke to DG Assam Rifles who
apprised me of the situation in Manipur. MHA is closely monitoring and
reviewing the situation in the state,” he added. — Agencies

Srinagar, May 21:
Indian Army successfully averted an infiltration bid, by cracking down on a
unit of armed gunmen in Kashmir’s Kupwara district. In the ambush, 3 jawans
also ended up being injured.

Defence Spokesperson
Col S D Goswami confirmed the news on Saturday evening. “5 militants shot dead
in encounter with Army in Kupwara, he was quoted as saying by news agencies.
The militants are suspected to be linked with anti-India jihadist outfits
targeting the Indian forces in Kashmir. Although, official confirmation has not
been received, the armed men could be linked to Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, which has
pumped up its effort to rejuvenate the Kashmir azaadi movement.

Encounter between
the militants and the security forces went on for nearly 12 hours. The
militants were suspected of hiding in Wastar forests near Kupwara.

Central Police
Reserve Police deployed in the state, has launched a massive counter-militancy
operation in the region, along with the Indian Intelligence. In the past 18
months, efforts to instigate Kashmir youth has been initiated. The cross-border
militants are being perceived as heroes and ideals by a growing section of
local youth, who are rapidly turning radicalized.

The move to raise
the Tibet Military Command's authority would put it directly under the command
of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) ground forces.

China has raised the
rank and status of its western Tibet Military Command to widen its scope for
missions and combat preparedness, in a move that analysts in Beijing say is
aimed at fortifying the border with India.

The move to raise
the Tibet Military Command's authority would put it directly under the command
of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) ground forces, the Party-run Global Times
reported on Friday, and allow it "to shoulder more combat
assignments".

This suggests
"the command may undertake some kind of military combat mission in
future", the newspaper quoted an unnamed source as saying.

A military expert in
Beijing told the newspaper that the command "bears great responsibility to
prepare for possible conflicts between China and India", but is currently
facing difficulties "to secure all the military resources they need".

The move would raise
its authority, including the designation of troops, but also "expand their
function and mission", the deputy director of the Political Work
Department of the Tibet Military Command, Zhao Zhong, was quoted as saying.
This would also boost their combat readiness, a military expert said.

China announced
sweeping military reforms in January and February, aimed at creating a more
nimble fighting force and unified military command. Following the reform,
provincial military commands were placed under the control of a newly set up
National Defence Mobilisation Department under the Central Military Commission,
which is headed by President Xi Jinping.

The Tibet Military
Command, however, will be directly under under the PLA Ground Force, headed by
General Li Zuocheng, who sits on the CMC.

"The Tibet
Military Command's political rank will be elevated to a level higher than its
counterpart provincial-level military commands, and will come under the
leadership of the PLA Army," the newspaper quoting a report from the China
Youth Daily, said.

"The promotion
shows China is paying great attention to the Tibet Military Command, which will
significantly improve the command's ability to manage and control the region's
military resources, as well as provide better preparation for combat,"
Beijing-based military expert Song Zhongping said.

Song was quoted
saying: "The Tibet Military Command bears great responsibility to prepare
for possible conflicts between China and India, and at present it is difficult
to secure all the military resources they need."

The newspaper noted
that "border disputes between China and India have not been completely
resolved", and in April when Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar visited
Beijing, his counterpart had said China "reacted positively toward setting
up a military hotline with India".